Our Weapon: The Fear of God

Consider using the following truths with unbelievers.

“I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him” (Lk. 12:4–5).

We are given a choice of whom to fear. We can fear those who can kill the body, or we can fear Him who sentences people to the second death.

“He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then He said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ He said to me, ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death’” (Rev. 21:5–8).

The voice is from the great white throne at the end of history. The voice said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” If we fear God, He delivers us from both the fear of the first and of the second death.

We can flee Satan, but no one can successfully flee from God, nor can we fight with Him and win.

“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you” (Ps. 139:7–12).

Are we willing and ready to preach the judgment seat of Christ? Jesus did it. Paul did it. John and Peter did it. If we leave out the bad news, people have no reason to embrace the Good News.

*Excerpted from Weapons & Tactics. To purchase, visit ccmbooks.org/bookstore.